Game helmet



. I July 22, 1969 w. H. BORGFORD 3,4 ,9

GAME HELMET Filed Feb. 20, 1967 INVIENIOR WILLIAM HENRY BORGFORD 26mi/Ww United States Patent 3,456,947 GAME HELMET William Henry Borgford,100 Rosewell Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Feb. 20, 1967, Ser.No. 617,268 Int. Cl. A63b 71/00; A42b 3/00 US. Cl. 273102.1 5 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Headgear for use in a game involving blowsbetween adversaries to indicate a point or win. A frame to protect thehead of a contestant has mounted on it a pin slidable under impact torelease a visor which drops over the front of the frame to cut off theview of the wearer.

The present invention relates to a game apparatus and more particularlyto headgear for use by participants in a game of physical contactinvolving blows between adversaries.

In contests involving physical contact between competitors the desiredend is to defeat the opponent. Since it is not desirable to do physicalharm in order to demonstrate this desired end, indicator means aresometimes adopted to record a point or a win. Contests in which blowsare dealt to an adversary by use of a mace or like means are notundertaken because of lack of suitable indicator means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus, for usein a game of physical contact between adversaries involving blows, withwhich a point or win may be indicated without injury to the losingcontestant.

An example embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the headgear mounted on acontestants head;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a mallet for use by each contestant; and

FIGURE 3 is a planar cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 ofFIGURE 1.

The headgear of the invention as seen in the drawings consists of aunitary frame having a transversely concave vertical faceguard 11 and afiat horizontal cap plate 12 at right angles to the faceguard. A pair ofspaced bosses 13 are fixed to the top or outer surface of cap plate 12.A pin 14 mounted in bosses 13 is freely slidable therein. Pin 14 carriesa head 15 at its rearward end and is held in bosses 13 by a pair ofwashers 16 of rubber or the like, one washer being fixed to each boss bybolts 16a. Pin 14 is frictionally gripped by washers 16 but is forciblyslidable in the washers under longitudinal impact force. Free end 14a ofpin '14, opposite head 15, projects forwardly with respect to the planeof faceguard ll when head 15 is bearing against adjacent washer 16.

Faceguard 11 has a plurality of horizontal slots or apertures 17 whichform a grille for viewing through the faceguard. Along each side edge11a of faceguard 11 is a shoulder 18 providing an inwardly directedgroove 19. A transversely concave visor plate 20 concentric withfaceguard 11 slides vertically in grooves 19. When in in its loweredposition, lower edge 21 of visor 20 rests on an outwardly projecting lip22 fixed on the outer surface of faceguard 11 below apertures 17 and thevisor covers the apertures. An aperture 23 is located centrally in visorplate 20 adjacent its upper edge 24 and receives the free 3,456,947Patented July 22, 1969 ice end 14a of pin 14 when the pin projectsforwardly with respect to the plane of faceguard 11, thus holding thevisor .in an upper position on the faceguard and exposing apertures 17to give the wearer a view through the faceguard.

A resilient pad or cushion 25, of foam ruber or other suitable material,contoured to rest upon the crown of the wearers head, is fixed to thebottom or inner surface of cap plate 12. Attached to faceguard 11 on itsinside surface adjacent its lower end 11b is a second resilient pad 26contoured to receive the chin of the wearer. A pair of buckle straps 27and 28 are attached to side edges 11a of faceguard 11 and are positionedto engage the back of the wearers head and neck respectively, thussecuring frame 10 to the head.

In the operation of the device each adversary fits a frame 10 to hishead by resting pad 25 on top of his head, placing pad 26 beneath hischin and buckling straps 27 and 28 about his head and neck respectively.Visor 20 is raised and pin 14 is forced forwardly through washer 16 toengage aperture 23 in the visor and hold the visor in its upper positionexposing apertures 17 through which the contestant views his opponent.Each contestant possesses a mallet 29 such as that shown in FIGURE 2 ofthe drawings having a head 30, of suitable material such as plastic,fixed to a rigid shaft or handle 31. With mallet 29 each contestanttries to strike end of pin 14 mounted on frame 10 of his adversary todrive the pin axially rearwardly through bosses 13 and washers 16. Whenpin 14 is driven rearwardly, in the direction shown by arrow 33 inFIGURE 3 of the drawings, a distance sufficient to clear end 14a fromaperture 23, visor 20 is released and drops over apertures 17, asindicated by arrow 34, the visor being guided by slots 19 and arrestedby stop 22. This movement of visor 20 cuts off the view of thecontestant and signifies a point or game won by his opponent.

It will be appreciated that the difficulty or ease of driving pin 14rearwardly through bosses 13 and washers 16 is governed by frictionalresistance imparted by the washers to the pin. Thus by use ofappropriate washers 16, visor 20 may be released by a single blow or byrepeated blows against pin 14.

I claim:

1. Headgear, for use by a contestant in a game involving blows betweenadversaries, comprising: a frame supportable by the head of saidcontestant and adapted to protect said head against impact by saidblows; an axially slidable pin mounted on the frame and having one endthereof exposed to receive said impact; and means engaged by the pinwhen in an initial position and actuable on slidable movement of the pinunder said impact to obstruct the view of the contestant.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the frame comprises a faceguard and a cap plate, the face guard having viewing apertures closableby the view obstructing means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the cap plate carries on itslower surface shock absorbent material adapted to rest on the head ofthe contestant and the face guard carries adjacent its lower edge a chinrest of shock-absorbent material.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the slidable pin is mountedon the cap plate and projects forwardly of the face guard, the viewobstructing means comprising a visor engaged by the pin and releasableby 3 4 predetermined movement of the pin to obstruct the view 3,150,4619/1964 Grist. through apertures in the face guard; the frame carrying3,294,401 12/1966 Nicholas et a1. shock-absorbent means adapted to restagainst the head FOREIGN PATENTS of the contestant.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the visor 5 9,177 1912 GratBfltalncarries an aperture adjacent its upper edge, the pin being608,202 1960 yslidably mounted axially in bosses fixed to the cap plateand engaging the aperture when in a forward position. ANTON O. OECHSLE,Primary Examiner References Cited 10 MAX R. PAGE, Assistant ExaminerUNITED STATES PATENTS V CL 2,059,918 11/1936 Straka. 28

2,998,974 9/1961 Stafford 273102.1 X

